Page 256 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 1

"Oh. No. I won't be there."Awkward.

"You're not going with Tyler? I thought you two were like a thing?"

"No, we're just friends. I think he's going with Natalie."

"Natalie? I've never heard him mention her." Eli shrugged. "Weird. Well, I'll catch you later, Penny. Good luck with Professor Thornton."

"Thanks, Eli." I'd have to text Tyler and thank him for looking out for me yet again. It was weird that one of his frat brothers didn't even know about Natalie. I hoped he was still taking her to the formal.

I looked down at my cell phone and tried to ignore the murmurs as people walked by me. Still nothing from James. I hoped he was handling the news okay. When there were barely any people left in the room, I made my way down to the front of the classroom.

Professor Thornton didn't look up from the papers on her desk. "Your grades are slipping."

"I know. I was distracted. I'm working hard on catching back up."

"If you think I'm going to go easy on you because of what's going on, you're wrong."

"I don't expect you to, Professor Thornton."

She finally looked up at me. "I just want to make things very clear. If you're getting perks in other classes because of your relationship..."

"I'm not."What the hell?!

"Don't come late to my class again, Penny." She grabbed her satchel and stood up to leave.

"I was just trying to avoid having to listen to everyone talking about me before class. I was here early like I always am, I was just hiding in the bathroom. Where apparently, I couldn't hide from what people were saying."

She sighed and stopped in her tracks. "I'm sorry about what people are saying. I just need to make sure that we're on the same page here."

"We are. I'm going to get my grades back up. I don't need any assistance with that. You'll see."

"Well, good. Prove me wrong. I hope you do. Because I have no problem failing students. And I'm not friends with Professor Hunter." She turned and walked up the stairs toward the exit.

Addiction - Chapter 30

Friday

I looked down at my paper and winced. C-. I was devastated when James had stopped talking to me. I had completely fallen apart. All my grades had seemed to slip. I probably still had a B average in the class. But I was used to getting As. I had worked hard to make sure I was always above the 3.5 GPA that I needed for my scholarship. It didn't matter if I let my grades slip now because I had lost my scholarship. But I didn't want to. I liked getting good grades.

"As you all know, extra credit assignments are due next Wednesday," my intro to marketing professor said. "If you weren't motivated before, maybe you will be after getting these grades. Not your best work, everyone. I expect better next time." Professor McCarty sat down at his desk.

Apparently I wasn't the only one that had been slacking recently.

"Does anyone have any questions about the assignment?"

Professor McCarty had probably mentioned the extra credit when I had skipped class on Wednesday. I silently pleaded for someone else in the class to ask about it. I couldn't have been the only one that was absent on Wednesday. But no one raised their hand. I'd just talk to him after class. I didn't want everyone to look at me.

"Okay, then. I hope you all have a great weekend. I'll see you on Monday."

I waited for everyone to leave before going up to the front of the room. "Professor McCarty?"

He looked up at me. When he did, it was as if his eyes wandered up my whole body, observing me slowly.

My skin felt cold.

"Ah, Penny Taylor. What can I do for you?"

"Hi, Professor McCarty." I didn't usually talk to professors. I always sat in the back of the room and never volunteered to answer questions. "I was absent on Wednesday, so I didn't get to hear about the extra credit assignment."